GRALLATORES. 265 



Genus GLOTTIS, Nilsson. 



The only species of this genus found in AustraUa appears 

 to be identical with the Glottis canescens of the British 

 Islands. 



Sp. 529. GLOTTIS GLOTTOIDES. 



Green SHANK. 

 Scolopax glottis, Linn. Syst. Nat., torn. i. p. 245. 



canescens, Gmel. edit. Linn. Syst. Nat,, torn. i. p. 668. 



grisea, Briss. 



chlorojnis, Nilss. 



totanus, Pall. 



fistulans, Bechst. 



nutans, Koch. 



Totanus glottu'ides, Vig. in Proc. of Comm. Sci. and Corr. of Zool. Soc, 



part i. p. 173. 



vigorsi. Gray. 



Glottis canescens, Bonap. Compt. Rend, de PAcad. Sci., torn, xliii. 



seance du 2 AoAt 1856. 



Glottis glottoidesj Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. vi. pi. 36. 



This wandering species inhabits every country of the Old 

 World from Europe and India to the most southern part of 

 Australia. Although nowhere very abundant, it is so gene- 

 rally dispersed over Australia, that I have seen specimens 

 from every settlement in that vast portion of the globe ; but, 

 although its distribution is so general, its presence is not, I 

 believe, to be depended upon in any given locality ; it is, in 

 fact, a chance but not unfrequent visitor to all. A more 

 elegant bird on the sands can scarcely be imagined, and it is 

 as graceful in all its actions as it is in form, tripping over the 

 beach with a lightness and ease peculiar to itself. It some- 

 times leaves the sea-side for estuaries and inland lakes ; but 

 these localities are not so favourable to its habits as sandy 

 points and spits of land on the sea-shore, where it is fre- 



